Biography

Often cited as one of the first genuine psychedelic rock bands to emerge in Denmark during the 1960s, Young Flowers were a blues-based power trio whose music was heavily influenced by Cream and the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Young Flowers were formed in Copenhagen in 1967 by guitarist Jens Dahl and drummer Ken Gudman, both former members of the Defenders, and bassist and singer Peter Ingemann, who previously worked with Seven Sounds. Young Flowers cut their first single in the fall of 1967, "Like Birds," but shortly afterwards Dahl dropped out of the band, and Peer Frost, who had played guitar with Les Rivals, joined the trio. Young Flowers scored a big break in 1968 when they were recruited to provide music for a television movie staring Danish actor and author Thomas Winding. Much of the music on their debut album, Blomsterpistolen (meaning "Flower Pistol"), was written for the television film of the same name, and the album had a powerful influence on the Danish rock scene, which at the time was dominated by folk-rock and pop groups. A second Young Flowers album, simply called No. 2, appeared in 1969, and when filmmaker Jens Jorgen Thorson created a screen adaptation of Henry Miller's novel Quiet Days in Clichy, he asked Young Flowers to write and perform several songs for the soundtrack. In 1969, Young Flowers became the first Danish group to tour North America, playing a string of dates in the United States and Canada, but the members of the group developed different musical interests, and Young Flowers broke up in 1970. Peer Frost went on to play with Midnight Sun and the Savage Rose, while Ken Gudman joined Culpepper's Orchard and Peter Ingemann performed with No Name. Young Flowers' popularity and historical importance led to a steady stream of reissues and archival released in Denmark, and in 2012 the British RPM label issued Take Warning: The Complete Studio Recordings. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi